(((.-)) Zel |||^.^||| Xelloss |{{^.^}}| Lina |((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^)) Amelia |))-.-((| Val
Chapter 34
THE SLAYERS
Tuesday was longer than Monday, or at least it seemed so. Every class assigned extra homework to cover 'all the material we have to' before the semester was over. Take Lina's English Composition Class, for example.
"We will finish this book by Friday, which means you must do two worksheets a day, instead of five a week. In the meantime, I'd like to begin another segment on poetry. The villanelle…"
"Whose meantime is she talking about anyway?" mumbled Lina.
"Ours. The time between waking up and falling asleep. Find the midpoint. Got your meantime," Zel muttered.
"That's about two in the afternoon…the play practice. Course if I stay up later…then that makes it after school," Lina doodled on her note paper.
"That's the spirit. Your meantime starts after school. The later you stay up, the more time you have," Zel drew a line of zzzzzzzzzzzz's on his notes.
"Yeah…if I don't sleep at all, I'll have plenty of time to do it all!" Lina smirked.
"Now you are catching on…"
History class was a mockery of education, from the viewpoint of Zel, Lina, and Xelloss.
"Today it's… History Jeopardy!" shouted the teacher with glee.
Despite the groans, he continued by writing the categories on the board. "We'll divide into four teams, each pair of rows is a team."
As soon as the teacher turned his back to finish writing the categories, half the class rearranged itself into complimentary teams. For instance, Xelloss moved over to Lina's row and Ryoga moved to Zel and Filia's row so that they were on opposing teams.
"Team one, choose your category," demanded the teacher.
"Branches of Government for 100," the kid called out.
"How many branches are there in our federal government?" the teacher asked.
He called on another kid in that row.
"Ah… lots, like trees?" the kid guessed.
"No. Next row…you?" the teacher pointed at Zel.
"Three. Amendments for 1000," answered Zel.
"Ah…right, um…okay…Which amendment was repealed a few years later?" the teacher stumbled through his notes.
Both Zel and Xelloss shot up their hands simultaneously.
"I don't know who was first so I'll go with…" the teacher began.
"Prohibition, " Xelloss answered promptly without waiting. "Next category is… Treaties for 1000."
"NO FAIR!" shouted Zel's entire row so that the rest of the class could not hear the teacher's question.
Filia did, however, and answered it correctly. Lina answered the next right, but Ryoga's mind wandered, missing the point of the question entirely. Zel and Xelloss continued the competition until the bell rang and the class was dismissed.
"A TIE?" screamed Lina. "How could that have been a tie? We answered everything right! Our points were higher by hundreds!"
"You miscounted, of course," Zel smirked and hurried out of her reach and then fell back beside Xelloss.
"What are we doing in that class anyway?" Zel sighed to Xelloss.
"We took the AP level classes already and this was the only one left. I understand if we were stuck here next year we would be reduced to mere game show hosts for all the classes!" Xelloss smiled.
"Oh, joy…" Zel groaned in mock horror.
"Yes, indeedy!" Xelloss grinned.
At the lunch table, Filia was teaching Sylphiel and Amelia how to fold origami cranes. "I'm going to make 1000 cranes!" she proclaimed. "Isn't this origami paper the best. Look at this piece with the tiny bunnies!"
"Look like…birds," said Amelia leaning in for a closer look.
"Or clouds. But this one is soooo cute with the fans…" Sylphiel cooed.
Lina tried to admire the craft, but it was just too…useless for her to be interested in for long. "So, Zel? You're starting karate today?"
"Ah, yes, Lina. I thought I'd try it. I could use the exercise and I'm not a big team-sports guy," he admitted.
"And ya don't hafta be tall," noted Val with the sensitivity of a jerk. "Like basketball requires some skill and height, but karate…that's good for you little squirts."
Xelloss stared at Val as he found his seat beside Zel, "What was that, Vally-boy? What's your excuse for not trying out for the basketball team? Afraid the cheerleaders might distract you? Oops! Two of them are here…sorry!"
Val glared across the table at the purple-haired kid, "I don't have time for playin games. I gotta work, unlike some rich kids I know…"
Xelloss popped out of his seat, "I work! I work at the dojo and manage to take a shower everyday and wear clean clothes, that I wash myself and…"
Zel yanked on his sleeve and warned his friend, "Sit down and be quiet before this gets serious!"
"What? I'm not allowed to defend myself?" Xelloss cried out but did sit down as suggested.
"Oh yeah, that too!" Val snarled. "If it had been me bustin' knees in the hall yesterday, I'da been expelled and dumped inna cell inna snap. But you…I'm surprised the office hasn't announced an award ceremony for ya!"
"I AM in trouble! I just don't advertise it!" Xelloss yelled back. "You want to trade places? The only worth I am to my mother is dead! One, two…three strikes you're out…third times a charm… they say… Don't get it? Well, I'll let Zelgadiss explain the facts of my life to you someday. You all listen to him!"
With that, Xelloss exploded out of his seat at the table, knocking over his chair, and bolted from the cafeteria. A flock of tiny cranes sailed through the air.
"Whoa!" said Gourry after a minute's pause. "What was all that about?"
Lina's eyes were boring holes into Val and Zel alternatively. "Something's wrong…what's up with you guys?"
"I was just talkin…" growled Val defensively. "He knows I don't mean nothin'…"
Zel shook his head, "Xelloss is getting in over his head and is scared. I can't tell you more. No, Lina! It's serious and dangerous and I've said too much already. No, Lina, beating me senseless will not pry it out of me…at school anyway. I think he needs the help of a good lawyer and shrink, but that's not going to happen. Just try not to notice things and be a friend…isn't that what we all want sometimes?"
Zel clamped up and stopped looking at Lina. Instead, he turned to Amelia and asked her about her father's lawyer and friend, Mr. Phibrizzo something.
"He's been a friend to my father since high school. They went to law school together. My daddy liked politics more, and so, chose that direction, but employed Mr. Phibrizzo as soon as he was established in a law firm. He has a spotless record. Mr. Zelgadiss, has Mr. Xelloss done anything…illegal?" Amelia added with concern.
"Not yet…" was all Zel would say.
"I thought everything was over," Amelia said quietly to Zel. "Mr. Dubois is dead so, isn't Mr. Xelloss feeling safe now? His memory seems okay too."
"He's a great actor, Amelia, who knows… He believes that Dubois was paid to kill him or drive him nuts…by his mother. That's why he took French, to translate some words the creep muttered while he was torturing him. Oh, yeah…he was aware enough to hear the words but didn't understand them until last week…yeah the tape's in secure hands…shit—sorry-- I shouldn't have said that. No one knows and I'm up … a creek if that gets out.
"Oh, Mr. Zelgadiss, I keep
secrets better than anyone," Amelia insisted.
"If they are important…So you watched that tape?" Her eyes were huge and watery.
"One second more and I would have ugh…it's too awful…and not appropriate lunch conversation. He was younger. Looked different, had short hair, and he lived through a nightmare. Now he's creating an even worse one for himself. He needs help, Amelia, and I can't do it."
"Mr. Zelgadiss…what is it?" Amelia whispered. Zel looked haunted and she knew he needed to open up to someone.
"He's going after Gaav. They are all connected…Gaav, his mother…more. It's beyond scary, Amelia!" Zel whispered but shook his head. He would say no more.
"I'm talking to Daddy…No, not specifically about that, I promised you! About help…a lawyer and a private meeting. He's very powerful, Mr. Zelgadiss, and smart. I know he can help us, er you and Mr. Xelloss…I KNOW he can," she spoke with assurance that actually made Zel feel a bit better.
"Let's go find Xelloss, then. He won't like it I'm sure, but I'm not operating behind his back. That I know he'll resent even more," said Zel rising from his chair. Aloud he said, "Amelia, would you like to take a walk and get some fresh air?"
"Oh, yes, Mr. Zelgadiss!" she hopped up and grabbing her sheet of origami paper and a crane, she ran to catch up.
Sylphiel watched the two leave the cafeteria together and sighed, "Isn't that sweet? He's talking to Amelia again."
Filia looked up from her paper folding, "I told you so. Guys don't forget…things like that. Zel just takes longer than most for the message to sink in. Here, I'll take that one and you can start a pink crane, okay? Lina? Sure you don't want to try? Gourry?"
"Ah…okay…how do I start?" Gourry asked reaching his big hand over to take the tiny thin paper from Filia.
"I'll show you!" bubbled Sylphiel, excited to have something to do with Gourry.
Lina watched the big blonde fumble with the paper. That didn't look like it would last too long. She turned and looked over at Val who was pushing a pile of salt into a pyramid, then smashing it back down.
"Hey."
"Hey, yourself," he answered not taking his eyes off the salt.
"You look kinda…down," Lina searched Val's eyes for a reaction.
"Heh, you know a few months ago, I wouldn'ta care shit about what I'd said to him, or any of ya…well you maybe…but that's it. Now I've gotta conscience or something. That road trip? That was the closest thing to a vacation I've ever had…that I remember. It was great, you know? I was…comfortable hangin with all of you…like we were all family kinda. It felt…good. But I get back to school and I…" Val shook his head.
Lina knew exactly what he was trying to say. She felt the same way, "And you fall back into the same old patterns…I know, we all do, but it's changing. Soon we'll have spring break and do stuff and then summer and do lots together and those old patterns will be replaced with new ones, better ones. Zel and Amelia have gone after Xelloss, I'm sure. You'll have a chance to make up at band practice tomorrow. You know, you guys—you, Zel and Xelloss—are a lot alike in the strangest ways. What ways? You are smart, yeah, you too buster! You are all good looking in your own special little ways, heh, heh. You are all mentally unbalanced and have families from hell. But ya got something else! What? ME! You've got the great, LINA INVERSE on your side! So…with that thought…yep, there's the bell, LET'S GO!"
Tuesday, after school.
After school Xelloss and Zel walked home and changed into loose karate wear. Xelloss gave Zel an old top and pants set and his first, white, belt to tie the gi closed. Xelloss wrapped a long black strip of cloth around his head and tied it in back to control his hair. "Bring water and we have five minutes to get to the bus stop," he advised Zel.
Zel had a good time. He met his sensei and learned the basics. He agreed to work with the Master for the first couple weeks for proper indoctrination. After that, he could progress as fast as he wanted with either the Master or Xelloss.
When it was time to leave, the sensei pulled the two boys to the side and said, "You were right to bring your friend. He shows much promise, but I think I would like him to meet with Kenshin Himura. You move like a swordsman … Fencing? That would explain it then. He teaches only the best…he'll be here Saturday evening. I would like you to be here…of course I know young men like you have plans…No? Well then, I'll let him know to expect you. Good night then."
"So fun, right? You must have impressed the sensei quite a bit for him to take a special interest in you like that. He NEVER does! Oh, it had nothing to do with me!" Xelloss laughed as they chatted on the bus ride home.
"Kenshin Himura, though! He's well known to the finest swordsman anywhere! We met him at the resort a couple weeks ago. Red hair down to here and Val tossed Lina at him. There was lots of red then! Those memories returning at last? Good. That was a lot of fun. Mostly…except for the shower intrusion and the tent problem…" Zel smiled remembering the mess with Gourry in the storm.
"I was happy then…I was engaged, at least I thought so…What? I don't know…what is love anyway? The better your imagination, the better it is. I don't know if I can feel anything deeper than that. It hurts too much. It's not worth the pain that's for sure. Love = pain. I think I'll just go into hiding for a while…yeah, become a priest. So I hide differently from you. It's the same thing. Sure it is, think about it some more. Here's our stop!" Xelloss pointed out and rose to leave.
"So you and Val patch things up?" Zel asked as he poured them both smoothies from a blender.
"No. He's worse at making friends that I am…was… real friends I mean. But he's okay. I shouldn't be so sensitive…but…"
"You are worried about hunting down Gaav. Don't do it, Xelloss. Let the police do that. It may take longer, but you'll be alive. Get out of this mess before…" Zel pleaded.
Xelloss frowned. "No! I'm going through with my plan. I'm going to take them ALL down. Destroy everything. That's the only way I can get back my life! And tell Miss Amelia to keep her nose out of my life, okay?"
"Hey! Don't get mad at me! I don't agree, but I'll help anyway I can!" Zel said, lowering his voice to a whisper as he heard his father's voice coming downstairs. "I'm going to take a shower. See you in the morning, right?"
"Yeah…" said Xelloss standing as his friend left the kitchen. He was feeling bad and overflowing with suppressed anger.
"Come in here, boy!" Rezo hollered from the front room.
"What?" Xelloss practically snarled, his bad mood not improved by an unwanted intrusion.
"I called you in here because I want to talk to you. Sit down!" Rezo commanded. "What's this about wanting a staff in my possession?"
Zel had finished his shower and changed into clean sweats, when he heard voices raised in anger coming from downstairs. He stepped to the stairs to listen and perhaps interfere…Rezo and Xelloss.
"I need one for the novice installation ceremony. You have one collecting dust in some closet. I just thought…" Xelloss explained.
Zel couldn't hear the response, but it must have been negative…
"Zelgadiss is just like you! Stubborn, especially when you're wrong!" Xelloss said sharply. He was in a foul mood and getting worse.
Rezo retorted in a snarl, "You are a spoiled brat!"
"Why? Because I want to use your old staff? It's not even yours! It was your father's and he didn't leave it to you anyway! He was a crook and a fake to boot!" Xelloss yelled back.
"HE was a better man than you will ever be," hissed Rezo.
"I don't think so…" Xelloss said in his sing-song voice, "He failed. I won't. MY father was a good man. True honest blood flows in my family…The only good in Zelgadiss comes from MY family!"
Whoa, now… thought Zel, moving down the stairs.
"Your father died a lousy drunkard!" Rezo snapped back.
"He did not! He, he had cancer!" Xelloss cried.
Rezo straightened, "He had destroyed his liver with drink first! He was a … weak man, like you… Zelgadiss was raised to be strong, hard."
"Zelgadiss is so screwed up you're lucky if he doesn't kill himself before he's 18," Xelloss smirked. "You are so tight! You're blind and you keep a car! You'll let your son take rides from his little rich girlfriend, sponge off that family's wealth, while you have a perfectly good car rotting away outside. Zelgadiss could be helping with the driving! He's even willing to pay his hard-earned cash for that pile of crap…Why don't you just give him the damned thing! Do something for him for once in your pitiful existence! See, he cares what you think. I don't. I just thought I'd lend some class to that staff!"
"Class? You are a coarse, crazy, spoiled brat who doesn't deserve to share the same house as my son! Get out of here! GO back to your padded cell!" Rezo shouted, turning his back to the shocked, pale face of his stepson.
Xelloss was shaking with anger. He spun around on a heel and stomped out of the room. He spied Zel moving to intercept his path out the door. Xelloss pushed past and spat, "F-&% YOU! F- (*&*& YOU ALL!"
Zel 's shackles were up now and he chased out the door after his friend. Both boys were enraged and took turns yelling and screaming, insulting and cursing one another. They separated in anger that night.
Wednesday. At school…
It might have been a Monday. Lina was listless and her headache was depressing her normally energetic personality. Xelloss sat dark and moody and further oppressed her. One glance sideways at Zel and there was another nasty attitude to deal with this morning. Filia was gesticulating excitedly and boasting about having 'at least a hundred paper cranes already!'
"Gleep!" Lina's eyes glazed over, "There goes my stomach… I hate this time of the month…"
The substitute teacher for English led a discussion on the book, Candide. Lina opted out and rested her head on her desk. Xelloss and Zel hid in their own gloom. Filia yacked and shared and participated to her heart's content.
The history teacher was covering the Grecian wars using football terminology. "Then they dropped the ball and… that was the end of that… another failed attempt on goal, I mean, campaign…"
"I don't believe this day! I am sooo sick and can't deal with this…" Lina groaned.
"Glad I'm a guy," Zel smirked.
Lina threw her mechanical pencil at him like a deadly missile and slammed her head down on her desk, hoping it would knock her out so that she didn't have to live such torment... Her pencil, a treasured gift from her pal, Zel, from his apparently limitless supply. He gave her a new one each year, for her birthday. Course that was whenever she lost or broke her old one and not on any particular day. This time he returned the pencil in silence as his rough hand touched her arm.
"Don't let it roll off, the tip is delicate," he admonished her.
Xelloss dropped his pen four times. The last time he just left it there and stared at it.
Filia picked it up and used it for taking notes.
"Eewwww! That's like sooo cool!" squealed Bunny from over her shoulder. "It's purple. Can I have it? Just for, like, a minute? Gods, what's your problem?"
Filia shook her head, wrote a couple notes, and folded them up. She glanced over at Zel and pushed one at him.
"What. Oh…" He opened the note. I read, "Glad you and Amelia are getting back together. Now, what HIS problem?" She had drawn a cute little Xelloss smiley face, with horns, and colored in the hair with the purple pen.
He blushed crimson. Back together? Oh joy! Filia kicked his chair. She wanted an answer. Zel looked at Lina. Nope. She wasn't going to be any help to him. He sighed and picked up his mechanical pencil.
He wrote, "1) There is no 'two' in 'together' with me and 2) He was born. ((.'-)) ", and jammed the note into her outstretched hand..
Apparently, Filia was not satisfied with the answers. She kicked his chair again, causing his notebook and countless papers to fall crash! , drift swoosh! , and scatter wheeeee! to the floor.
Not good karma.
The teacher paused, while Zelgadiss and Filia gathered up the papers and settled back at their desks. Zelgadiss continued to sort out his papers into small stacks and file them in their proper compartments for the rest of the period.
Filia had to content herself with her one note and another one she had 'accidentally' picked up under his mess of notes. Sure that he wasn't looking her way, she opened the note and scanned the paper. Printed in neat sparkle-blue letters were the words, "RP killed S's father and mother and L's father too! —A"
She had no idea what that was all about, except that the ink was definitely from Amelia's pen. Also the '—A' could be her signature… so it was from Amelia. Humph! No 'two in together' eh? But the note itself… 'Killed'… What could that be code for? She pondered the riddle but could make no sense of it. Finally she folded it back up and pretended to point so something of Zel's. When he followed her finger, she dropped the note, pushed it under his chair, and again, pointed and shook her head. He looked again, saw the note, and hurriedly snatched it off the floor and tucked it into his pants pocket.
Xelloss had watched the entire charade. He had also snuck a look at the note. He knew exactly what it was about. He turned white as a sheet. How did Amelia get that kind of information? From that lawyer Phibrizzo she and Zel mentioned yesterday…probably. He decided to call the man later.
At lunch, Zel was sitting at the table with Van and the other Draconian cultists. Xelloss arrived late and sullen.
"Mr. Zelgadiss is visiting with the kids from Atlantis, if you are looking for him," Amelia said politely with a smile.
"Too good for us peons, I see…" Xelloss smirked.
"…?…" thought the others at the table.
"I was told in no uncertain terms that I am not good enough to be entrusted with their family relics. I just wanted to hold that old staff rotting away in some closet. But nooooo. I'm a second class citizen in my own home, which I am now kicked out of in fact. I can stay in my cell, as he put it!" Xelloss' tongue stumbled over the words. He stormed off not wanting to listen to his friends' reactions.
Zel wandered over to Lina's table and took his customary seat beside Amelia.
"So, Zel. Want to tell us what's up with Xelloss?" Lina asked, arms crossed over her chest.
"Wrong? Nothing. Why ask me?" Zel snapped defensively.
"Ooooooo… you, my man, are in DE-NI-AL, and I don't mean the big river!" smirked Val.
Lina's magic was gone. Her friends were falling out. Her hair was looking a bit limp, her stomach was… off. Food was uninteresting. She felt crabby and every little thing was irritating her. Val wasn't funny, Xelloss was going to be punched if he showed up again, and Zel was going to get…
Lina's eyes narrowed, and smoke poured from her ears, "Zelgadiss!"
Zel's eyes shot up. She never called him that except… oh no…"Please, Lina. Not today. Not now. I have important… things to do…ah, Amelia? I just stopped by to say…thanks…Would you like to walk to your locker… a little early? Good. Yes, I'll wait for you to put away your lunch."
Amelia stuffed her mostly uneaten food back into her lunchbox and scooted from her seat. She nodded seriously to Zel and followed him out.
"They are the strangest couple," remarked Filia. "He denies it one minute then practically demands her attention and exclusive presence the next. And she obeys him like…an obedient little dog. Sylphiel, if I EVER act like some kind of idiot over some guy, tell me and I promise NOT to hate you for it! Promise? Thanks."
Lina's ears perked up. Zel and Amelia? What is Filia thinking of? "Filia? What are you talking about?"
Filia sighed, "Well, if you had been paying attention these past two days you would have noticed how weird Zel and Amelia have gone. Writing notes, talking in whispers, taking walks, now she's scampering around him like a pet puppy. I told her he hadn't forgotten kissing her and all…and now…"
"Zel kissing Amelia?" Lina's stomach lurched. Oh may the Gods help me!
Gourry patted Lina on the back. "That time of the month, huh? It's okay…you'll be feeling better tomorrow, right?"
If looks could kill, Gourry and everyone within her firing range would be smoking piles of ash…
Things were a bit tense at band practice, what with Xelloss not talking to Zel or Val. Zel was moody again and glaring at anyone approaching him. Xelloss silent and stern was too odd to even joke about. Lina was tired, grumpy, and not afraid to share her wrath with anyone who crossed her path. Amelia seemed…anxious and distressed, not at all what Filia expected, course with a moody guy like Zel… So Filia chatted with Sylphiel, who was showing off her teeny, tiny paper cranes to Gourry.
Val was trying to lighten things up. When Zel kept goofing up, mostly due to his sore shoulder, Val joked:
"You are playing the Definition of a Drunk—wandering from bar to bar…heh, heh… aw, it was a music joke, get it?"
Zel got it. He just didn't react.
Val approached Xelloss cautiously. "Um…Hey,"
Xelloss looked up from his hands resting in his lap at his drums, "Yeah?"
Val looked around uncomfortably then began, "I, uh, gotta raise at work yesterday. The boss said I'd made myself more valuable cause I could setup and fix drums like no one else. I wanted to, ah… say thanks for lettn me help ya and learn so much from you."
Xelloss smiled at last, "Me?"
Val sighed, talking was getting easier. Xelloss made it easy. "Yeah! You and your take'n down and sett'n up. I had some free time so I started work'n on my own project, you see. Up in storage at work there's tons of crap, broken stuff and parts and all. I was read'n bout early 50's and 60's kits, one called a 'cocktail kit' caught my eye. It had this small footprint, different drum mounts so it would fit in tight spots…coffee shops, lounges, you know…"
Xelloss nodded. He had no idea what Val was talking about but he seemed so sincere...
Val continued, "Anyway, folks been ask'n for them time to time. So I look over the crappy stuff and find good Rodgers drums with shitty covers, torn, stained, or broken, and these weird hardware mounts. I think, "cocktail kit'. Then I find all these crappy drums with good blue-sparkle covers. Now new covers come from Italy where making that acetate film poisons them not us, heh, heh…not as good as the old covers and expensive…$30 bucks a drum! So I skin the crappy ones and fix up the good ones, polish the real chrome hardware and…"
"Voila!" smiled Xelloss.
"Yeah, I made up a real beauty. It sold today for over $600, pure profit from junk. Yeah, I'm good. But here's the point…There's stuff for more, I could do up a tiger-eye kit…Why? For us…you…the band. A small kit, easy to move and set up, right? For playing small places…we could go unplugged…you, know like on MTV? Ah, come on you know what that is? No TV? Look it up, Einstein. It's a hot trend in music…rock bands going acoustic. It might work for us to play smaller coffeehouses and all."
Lina had sidled over at the sound of '$600 pure profit.' "Unplugged? Yeah, that would work, Zel's gotta guitar…Hey Gourry! Yeah you…come over here! You know what 'unplugged' is right? Could we do it? What about you, would you need a different guitar?"
"Ah, pretty much, if you want a deep bass, I'd need a standup bass. I have one from middle school orchestra. I'd have to practice again…" Gourry mused, eyes closed thinking about how to play Slayers music acoustically.
"It would take some time to work out different arrangements and all," Zel dropped his mute act and added from the side. "Val?"
"Unless a place has a piano, I'd have to use the old keyboards and amp it simple. Our music would be different, that's a given," Val answered.
Zelgadiss sighed, "Listen, this is our last practice for awhile and we've got a lot of new material to work out so can we get back to that?"
"Sure!" Val nodded. At least Xelloss was semi-animated now. Maybe he'll contribute something. "Gourry's piece first, or do we have that one down good enough? Xelloss? Wanna do yours then?"
Amazingly the four guys stood around Val's synthesizer and put together a really cool song. Zel's cords, from the hospital time, were the starting place. Xelloss wouldn't sing all the words…he wanted to keep a few verses a secret.
Lina was happy to drink sodas and do nothing. Filia started folding paper cranes. Lina and Amelia watched. Sylphiel folded another teeny, tiny one.
"So…why's it called But, But, But? " Val asked Xelloss.
Xelloss shrugged, "I think the backup singers should sing that right here…"
"So waddaya guys think?" Lina asked wearily as they packed up their gear for the night. Do we have two more down and my one to go for the dance, if we get the job?"
"Maybe," Zel said curtly.
Xelloss shrugged, "One's okay."
Gourry smiled, "Mine will be ready. I'll think about yours some…if you sing it on the way home…"
"Yeah, I can do that," Lina returned his smile then looked away. Val was gesturing for her to join him. As she did she sighed, "What's the good word?"
Val shook his head, "Not band stuff…gotta minute?" He lowered his voice and ran a hand through his green mop. "Ahh, it's like this… word is that Nahga been hanging out in Sairaag. Yeah, that hole in the ground…heh, heh…ah, singing for tips or somethin. Anyway, the bad news…. Oh, yeah, it gets worse…. The bad news is that she's knocked up and strung out on dope and shacking up in some god-awful place… Listen, it's just the word on the street, ya know how that is…I'll check it out personal like, tonight… myself…get an address…okay?"
Lina's magic was way low. "Address? Yeah, get that. I gotta go see her…"
Gourry tapped her on the shoulder, "Ahhh, Lina? You don't look so hot. Wanna take the van?"
"No, Gourry. I'd just as soon walk…but you can carry my stuff!" she said with a faint sparkle in her eye.
"Ahhh, sure Lina!" he smiled, hefted her pack over his shoulder, and strode out the door with Lina in his wake.
Amelia had latched onto Zel's arm. "Did you understand my note?" she asked in a whisper.
Zel nodded. "Of course. It raises more questions than provides answers."
"There are court records accessible over the Internet, but… I'm sure you know about that. Should I tell…Miss Lina or Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia asked hesitantly.
"Absolutely not," Zel's visible eye flashed a warning. "I need to check this out first. Lina's not in the right…mood…not now. Your van is waiting."
Filia swirled her pale long hair and snagged it in Zel's wiry mess. She yanked it loose, causing Zel to jump and YELP! OUCH! .
"Break it up, kiddies…it's time to go!" she laughed as he blushed and hid his face.
Amelia cried out something Zel couldn't hear, then took off after Filia.
"Oh, Xelloss?" Sylphiel asked quietly. "I have your cloak nearly done. Yes. I think it looks nice, the best job I've ever done. It went together so fast too! All the stitches are tiny and straight and the border went on perfectly… and, well…It's too big to carry to school and all…so I wondered if you might be able to come by or I could drive it over…"
He was standing beside her nodding and trying to follow all her scattered thoughts in order to know what was expected of him. "I see, the cloak is done and you'd like to get paid, right? That's okay! I work at the dojo tomorrow until about eight. It's very close to the shrine, so I can walk over. Hmmm? Oh, I take the bus home. What? A ride? Oh, I'll simply wear it home over my gi and confuse everyone, but thanks for the offer!"
"Oh! Okay! See you then!" she chirped and rushed to catch-up with Filia and Amelia.
Val punched him on the shoulder on the way out, while laughing, "There once was a priest of Seyruun, they said fell in love with a loon. He said, 'it's not right!' She said, 'Please, let's not fight!' So the dish ran away with the goon!"
"Ver-ryyyy, funny!" shouted Xelloss after the gangly guy, but he wasn't mad or hurt. He realized that if he dished out the teasing, he'd have to take it too, from friends anyway. "The meter wasn't right either!"
When he turned back to the room, Zelgadiss was standing there. He had picked up the trash and bagged it and was waiting to say something.
Xelloss plunked himself down on a beanbag chair and closed his eyes, "Yes, little brother?"
Zel remained standing, "I need your help…and…"
"And?"
"And I really am…I didn't mean…I'm ah…"
"I'm sorry too. If that helps…" Xelloss said cautiously.
"Yeah. Listen…I want to work together on…all this with you. Please, don't go off and so something…rash. Keep me informed, will you?"
"You are worried about me, aren't you?" Xelloss sat up and opened his eyes.
"Yes! Damn it! You are my best friend. I don't want to visit you in the hospital again, understand! We are smart. If we do this right, we don't have to risk our lives. There are others who get paid to do that and are better at it than us anyway. And…. I have this lead… Can we go on the Internet and…"
"Check out the Red Priest's role in the murders of…" Xelloss began, standing up.
"Are you a mind reader? Or has Amelia…" Zel began as he followed Xelloss up to the loft.
"Mind reader, I think. See first, I lost my mind. Then, I lost my memory. Now I read other's minds to recover it all!" he giggled and dove for the computer first. "Okay, where should we start?"
Lina lay on her bed thinking about her raggle-taggle bunch of friends. Life just simply was not fair. UGH! Her body cramped up. She had swallowed an aspirin to help her fall asleep, and now she was waiting her customary 20 minutes for it to kick in and 'take the edge off' so she could rest. Yes, she would feel better in the morning, she was sure about it, but Nahga…what about her?
Tired… warm… ahhhhh…
Lina was surrounded by people, all friends and acquaintances. Allen Schezar approached her carrying… a bundle, a baby she assumed. "When you're ready," he handed her a business card. "They are a good daycare center for children of all ages." He smiled and walked away.
"What?" she wondered. "Oh, yeah, I'm gonna have a baby…" she remembered. She'd just announced the news.
Val appeared grinning and hands raised, "Hey! It's not mine!"
Gourry smiled at her and gave her a big hug, "Congratulations, Lina. You'll make a great mom!"
Zel turned to face her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'll do what ever I can to help you, you know that…after I kill the guy…"
Finally, Xelloss clasped her to him and danced her away from the rest, whispering, "Marry me…."
Lina woke up in a panic. "Dreaming…thank God! What a nightmare! No more pickle and peanut butter sandwiches for me after 10:00 at night!"
"And then we keep coming up against the same roadblock every time!" Xelloss shouted with frustration and pounded on the desk.
"Well, we have some information that's new. All this happened in Sairaag at least ten years ago, maybe more. How old was that guy? At least 50 or 60… Hmmm, Lina knows nothing about her father. I can guarantee it! This could get messy… You've been seeing Sylphiel lately, she ever mention that her 'dad' is really her uncle?" Zel asked his eyes scanning the computer screen for something.
"Seeing? I have been allowed into her living room-- to view fabric, once…with an adult present at all times. No, we didn't chat about her parents," Xelloss' frustration was causing him to become sarcastic.
"Ah… yeah, sorry. Filia's doing things to my mind… She's bugging me about Amelia. Why is it that if I talk to Kagome or Hitomi or any other female our age, it's fine…But, if it's Amelia it's… got to be something different? What is Filia's problem anyway?"
Xelloss smiled, "Her problem is that she has too little to think about so she manufactures fantasies. Your problem…is that Amelia doesn't have a boyfriend, while the others you mentioned do. That makes Amelia available. What with your kissing incidents being common knowledge… Oh yes they are! That makes her your conquest. Therefore, Filia's imagination is fed by…. WHOA! Stop! Look at that!"
Zel's verbal defense hung in the air while he scrolled up and re-read the words, "Lawrence Inverse… Could that be Lina's father? Died…he was a CIA agent at the time…Whoa, indeed… We have to go to Sairaag and check out the records in the clerk's office. Apparently, all the shrine was destroyed and half the town so there aren't many to look at…When?" Zel asked as he pulled out his personal calendar and turned the pages.
Xelloss reminded him, "Friday's mostly taken up by an assembly, you know… I have a bunch of 'excused absence' papers…"
Zel exited the computer and looked at his friend, "All right. We'll go Friday. Let's go eat dinner…Leftovers…Yeah, gotta love 'em!"
Xelloss smiled as his leaped down the stairs to keep up with Zel. "Hey, you know Lina's going to say I'm a bad influence on you. Xelloss the Corrupter!"
"Not if YOU don't tell her, which you're not or she'll get all suspicious and want to tag along, which we don't want now DO WE? No, I didn't think so. So you get out the salad stuff and I'll get the oven going. Oh, hi, Zelas. Yes, it's going to be ready in about… 23 minutes give or take… Oh, all right. By the way, I'll need these things for Friday's dinner.
Zel handed Zelas his grocery list. "It looks like a lot, but most of the ingredients are spices we don't have, but will last for other meals. You'll need to go to the Asian market for the last six items."
Zelas took the proffered paper between her long thin fingers tipped with shiny, blood red nails. She smiled serenely and floated out of the room, "Oh, Rezo-darling, would you like a glass of wine? Dinner is coming along…"
When Zel stood to clear the table, Rezo called his attention, "Here!" He tossed the car keys into the air and an envelope onto the table. Zel caught the flying keys and asked, "It's late, you know. What do you need?"
"Nothing, thank you. The car is yours. You need to mail the change of registration form to the DMV and…there in the envelope…there's the pink slip. Don't lose it! You're insured for the year, until you turn 18, then the responsibility is all yours. Oh, and get the oil changed every three months and it will last longer." Rezo paused and turned his head toward the Zelas.
Zel stood speechless, "Ah… thanks…"
"On second thought…" Rezo began.
Xelloss reached over the table, swept up the envelope, and slipped it into his back pocket. The action was not lost to the blind man.
Rezo continued, taking the grocery list off the table beside Zelas' hand, "… You can go get these yourself, while the store is still open."
Zel nodded and took the list, pocketed it, then finished clearing the table. He and Xelloss washed up in silence, while the adults continued their evening entertainment in the living room.
Zel grinned at Xelloss, who grinned back, then asked, "Wanna go for a spin?"
"Oh, yeah…." Xelloss replied.
Thursday at schoolBy lunchtime Lina was feeling better and looking perkier. Val slunk into the seat beside her where Filia usually sat. He pushed a torn scrap of paper her way and said, "I got this. All I know is it's in the old part of town, near the ruins…but then just about everything is there. She works late, so…best time to get her is daytime…morning fer sure. No other news, though, sorry…"
"Hey! S'okay. Thanks for this, Val. I won't forget this when I'm rich and famous!" she grinned. Her fire was returning.
"Better not!" he chuckled, glad to have his Lina back to normal.
Xelloss sat across the table and opened three packages of sugar, then poured them into a cup of tea. He stirred it with a pretzel and dunked his bagel into the result.
"Xelloss?" Lina called with a twinkle in her eye.
"Yes, Lina? What can I do for you today?" he smiled. Yes, he was learning how to speak to Lina with respect and proper attitude.
"I need to use your cell phone, okay? Gee, thanks! I'll remember you too when I'm rich and famous!" she laughed. "Oh, Amelia? Yeah, 'cuse me Zel, can you move over? I need to talk to Amelia. Yeah, you too, Xelloss, move it! Now! That's right…yeah, fine. Amelia, what's your dad's number…No! Not at home. Now, at work or whatever… Great lemme try that one first!"
Lina left the group and disappeared for a few minutes. When she returned, she sat back down between Zel and Amelia. "Amelia, I'm going to Sairaag tomorrow to pick up Nahga. Yeah, well, I don't know how she is but…I just spoke to Phil. I made him promise to let her come home, no recriminations and get her some help…with her approval and my ahh…presence to smooth things over. I'll be back in time for rehearsals, you bet! What I need is for you to get my homework turned in… well, I'll drop it off at Gourry's and you see to it that he gets it to Filia, okay? Yeah, he KNOWS but…right, thanks."
Zel's interest was peeked. Lina going to Sairaag? What a coincidence! He turned to Xelloss, "You hear all that? Well, shall we invite her along? Yeah, well, I didn't think you'd mind… Lina? Need a ride into Sairaag? Well…I'll pick you up Friday at say… 8:13? No, no questions…just be ready…Yes, 8:13 on the dot. Oh, and he'll get you an 'excused absence' note too, won't you Xelloss? Of course. Thanks aren't necessary…yeah, yeah…when you're rich and famous, I heard!"
Filia rushed over and told Val to scoot over, "The cheerleader meeting took longer than I thought! Do I still have time to eat? Yeah? Good!" She pulled out some carrot sticks and an apple and began to munch.
Sylphiel quietly slid into the seat on the far side of Gourry. Lina occupied his other side. "Oh, Filia! Here's your pen back, thanks."
Filia took the purple pen and set it on the table. Xelloss smiled. So there it is… Before he could grab it, another intruder arrived.
"Lina?" She looked up and saw…Allen Schezar standing beside and behind her. "Hi, I understand that your band has just been chosen to play at the upcoming Valentine dance."
Her dream the night before came to mind. In her alarm at seeing him in the flesh standing, looking into her eyes with that same expression, Lina fell sideways away from him…and into Gourry's lap. Her sweatshirt, which had been draped over her shoulders, fell to the floor, as did the purple pen. "Ahhh!" she gasped.
"Oh, sorry if I startled you. Here…" he stood holding a bundle…Lina's sweatshirt. "…And take this…" He produced the purple pen and offered it to her as well.
"Ah, thanks…" she noticed where she was and blushed.
As she started to right herself and get into her own seat, Val returned with a can of soda. He looked at Lina and the pen pointing his way and laughed, "Hey! It's not mine!" He pushed it aside and took his seat beside Filia.
Gourry gave her a little hug as he helped her up, "That's great news! Congratulations, Lina. That'll be a great job!"
Lina sat back in her chair, "Uhh, yeah, thanks guys…" then to herself she thought, "That was just too weird!"
"Lina?" It was Zel. He was standing beside her. "I need to go talk to someone so…" He placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She seemed very distracted. "You know, I'm here for you if you need me…after I kill the guy…Val? Give me back my pencil! Yes. I HAVE killed for less!"
Zel flew around Lina and seized the pencil as Val tossed it. "Mechanical pencil! That makes you the geek of geeks!" And Zel pounded on him for revenge, then walked away.
Lina shook her head again. Too entirely weird! However, when she saw Xelloss standing and smiling in front of her she started to freak. "Lina, I have a question for you…"
She screamed, "NO! Absolutely not! Keep away from me! No dancing! None of the marriage stuff either!"
Xelloss took a step backwards, "My, my Lina, whatever is the matter? I merely wanted to get my phone back and…that's my pen…by the way, thanks!"
The bell rang and lunch, such as it was, was over.
Zelgadiss actually liked his tutoring duties. He met kids he ordinarily had no occasion to speak with and enjoyed the challenges inherent in teaching those less gifted then himself. Maybe he'd be a teacher, someday…if anyone would hire a freak like him…
"Umm, Zel?" Gourry asked uncertain what kind of mood his friend was in now.
"Oh, yes. Is it time to go? We're still computer shopping today, correct?" Zel put his mechanical pencil away and checked his watch,
"Yeah, my dad just pulled up outside and the truck's running," the tall blonde kid smiled.
"All right. I'm ready," Zel sighed as he picked up the last of his bags. He dug down to the bottom of his bookbag and withdrew a handful of wooden pencils. He let them clatter onto the tabletop and smiled as he recognized a few, ones that he had picked up in the hallways or sidewalk… saved from neglect and now restored to fill out their duties as classroom tools.
"Ah…here some more, if you need one, take it…" he said quietly and waved to a couple of kids still struggling to finish their homework.
Zel saw the truck and sighed again. Gourry tossed Zel's bags into the open back along with his bag and then waited for Zel to climb up.
"Thanks for helping out, Zel!" smiled Gourry's father at the wheel.
Zel looked up. He felt so very small. The truck was huge, Gourry and his father were giants, compared to him… two blonde Greek Gods with the little demon caught in-between, trapped, air…
"Gourry? Is Zel okay?" asked his father.
"Zel? Oh, ah…I'll just open the window a bit…How's that? Oh, ya looked kinda pale there," Gourry said with a note of concern in his voice. He'd seen Zel look that way before, before he collapsed in the gym.
"I'm fine…thanks," Zel sighed as he got himself under control.
"Good thing you're small," chuckled the big man. "Or there wouldn't be enough room for us all in here!"
"Déjà vu…" muttered Zel.
Xelloss knocked on the shrine door, shivering as a wintry wind blew dampness into his sweaty hair. "Ah, hello! My name is Xelloss and I'm here to see Sylphiel!" he said smiling to cover up his chattering teeth.
The young priest opened the door and lead Xelloss into an entry room, "I'll go tell her you're here…um…you're going to be one of the new novices, right? My name is Haruto, I go the Seven Wonders School part-time and Seyruun the rest of the time. You hang out with Lina, right?"
Xelloss smiled and nodded, "Yes, on both accounts! I'm a friend of Sylphiel's and am here to pick up my cloak…Ah! Sylphiel, I'm a little late, sorry. The dojo master is making me work extra hard to makeup for missing last week."
"Well, nice to meet a fellow shine-man, Xelloss! I've got door-duty tonight!" Haruto waved and trotted back to the door.
"Hello," Sylphiel smiled shyly and handed over the folded, black cloth. "I hope you like it."
Xelloss hurriedly pulled the cloak over his shoulders and closed his eyes, smiling. "It's warm… How do I look?"
"Oh, very…elegant. Look over here, there's a mirror…" she smiled.
Sylphiel led him to a full-length mirror, where he turned and admired his reflection.
"You are quite the seamstress, Sylphiel. It's worth every penny, here's your payment. And, if it's not too late, I'd like to treat you to an ice cream across the way," he smiled. "There's hot fudge topping!"
Sylphiel blushed as their hands touched in the $ exchange. "Thank you… If you can wait, I'll have to ask first…" she stuttered and hurried off.
Xelloss smiled and sat on a hard bench to wait, crossing his legs. Moments later, she returned, "Yes I can, but we should hurry. I can only be out one hour. It is a school night and rather late and … here comes my father. He'd like to meet you first… Oh, Father, I'd like you to meet my friend, Xelloss. Yes, Lina and all of us camped out at his house the night of that storm. He lit candles and got us blankets and everything…"
Xelloss stood and shook the offered hand, "Glad to meet you too! Didn't she do a great job on my cloak? Yes, I'm the drummer in the band…oh…I just got off work at the dojo and I walked over to pay for the cloak…and the ice cream is a surprise…What? Ah… I believe the acting class is the only one we have together…"
Sylphiel interrupted, "He and Zelgadiss are sooo smart, Father. They are taking all the upper level classes and are the top students at school!"
"I saw your pictures in the paper…terrible thing to have to go through… Xelloss Metallium," Sylphiel's father said with a harsh emphasis on his last name.
Xelloss nodded, then smiled and said, "Well, if we only have an hour… It's very cold out, Sylphiel, so bring a warm coat or… yes, your priestess cape will do too, I suppose. Goodnight, Sir, nice meeting you!"
"So…I like every kind of ice cream. How about you, Sylphiel? What would you like?" Xelloss smiled as they entered the ice cream parlor.
"Can I get a sundae? With hot fudge and whipped cream…but that's probably an awful lot of calories…" she worried over the selections.
Xelloss chuckled, "This is a treat. Don't be so concerned. You look very nice to me!"
She shot him a startled glance, but he had looked away and was ordering both their sundaes, with extra whipped cream and a cherry on top. Xelloss listened politely to her chatter and gossip about the shrine, until the desserts arrived. That occupied her mouth for a while.
Gourry's dad dropped Zel off in front of his house, "And thanks again for all your help! I know I never could have gotten that computer up and running so fast without you!"
"You're welcome. Gourry, call me if you have a question. I'm usually home," said Zel.
He stopped by Xelloss' place and knocked on his door. No one at home. "Oh, yes. Sylphiel and the cloak. Well, I'll check in another hour," Zel muttered and trudged back to his house.
"Thank you for the sundae, Xelloss. It was nice of you… well, umm…" Sylphiel smiled at the Shrine entrance.
"You're welcome, Sylphiel. I had a good time too. See you tomorrow…dress rehearsal!" He smiled then took a step forward and raised a finger to her face. He gently drew a single finger tip across her cheek and, to her astonishment, withdrew it, stuck it in his mouth and sucked on it.
"Umm, whipped cream!" he grinned cheerfully. "Oh, yes, one more thing..."he added as he reached for her hand.
She gasped as he stood there watching her face before speaking, "My gloves, please. I'll need them for the bus ride home."
"Oh! I'm sorry… ah… thanks for lending them to me… pretty blue too …ah…" she blushed and hurriedly pulled off his larger gloves and handed them over.
"No trouble, you are welcome, Sylphiel. Good night!" he winked and walked away to the corner bus stop.
"Oh, my…" she sighed while standing in the illuminated doorway and watched his dark silhouette disappear into the night.
"Damned Metalliums…" her father muttered from a window high above in the Shrine tower…
"LINA! Do you want anything to eat before I close down the kitchen?" Luna called from the far end of the hall.
"WHAT TIME IS IT?" Lina yelled back.
"10:00 or so…"
"NO! Too late for food…gives me REALLY weird dreams!" Lina said.
"You are weird!" Luna sighed and returned to the kitchen to turn off the lights and go to bed.
Xelloss saw the light on in the kitchen. He opened the door to the house and walked in, "Zelgadiss?"
Zel set down his cup of tea and book, "That took a while."
Xelloss smiled, "We went for ice cream. I don't think she knows a thing. REALLY. Her father on the other hand…yeah, I met him. He called me by my real name, with an emphasis on the Metallium part. I think he was testing me. Did I pass? Well, he left her in my charge for an hour, so… Well, see you in the morning, early, neh?"
"Right. Here are our 'get out of school free' passes. I'll keep them in my bookbag, all right? Lina's too." Zel asked.
"Whatever you want, little brother," Xelloss smiled.
"What are you so…happy about?" Zel asked.
"Me? Well, that's a secret! Nighty-night!" Xelloss laughed and left the house.
"Oh, joy!" muttered Zelgadiss, as he washed out his teacup and then climbed the stairs to go to bed.
(((.-)) Zel |||^.^||| Xelloss |{{^.^}}| Lina |((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^)) Amelia |))-.-((| Val