Changing Lives: Chapter 2

By: Lady Suki

I smiled as I looked down at the pictures in front of me. Each one had at least one of my former co-pilots in it. No, not just my former co-pilots, but my truest and best friends. Each boy so different yet so similar. Each had a story of it's own to go with it.

I looked at the one of Heero and myself. I looked like such a mess. It had been taken right after Heero had shot me for the first time. My chest was heavily bandaged, a wrap was on my wrist, and a few cuts and bruises could be seen on my arms but I was smiling.

Heero always did tell me that I was too stupid to know enough to not smile when I was injured. Then again, he was the one who was always blowing himself up when his plans didn't go exactly the way he wanted them to.

I looked at the next picture. This one was the most recent one that I had of Heero and myself. It was taken right after we had detonated our Gundams for the last time. I think it was Zecks who took the picture because it showed all of us standing at the top of the hill together.

Heero looked like he was losing his best friend. He was still holding the detonator in his hand. I still couldn't figure out why, but he looked so sad. Now we have to remember that this was the same guy who was always blowing himself up out in space, so you try to make sense of that.

I had to laugh at my facial expression. The one and only time that I had shown this picture to anyone, (it was Quatre) he said that it looked like I was revealing my true nature. True nature? As if. Ok, well, maybe just a little. I had this look of darkness in my eyes. You know, like when an Anime character is being possessed by some evil thing. Also, I was truly frowning which is not something I do normally.

My happiness is a reflex. I act stupid and happy so that when something goes wrong (and something always goes wrong) it softens the blow for those around me. Like I said, it's a reflex.

Quatre looked as though he knew what he was doing was for the good of all humanity, but it still pained him. Anything that even remotely evolved the death of someone or something greatly upset. In fact, that's what really made him such a great guy to send on missions where we were commanded to kill as few as possible.

Trowa, as usual, was completely passive. He never showed emotions. Well, I shouldn't say never. He really did, only you had to know when to catch him at it. The best of times was when he was looking at Quatre. And now that I look closer at the picture, I can see that he is looking at the blonde beauty. Oh, wow. Again, I was wrong! He's crying. He's crying for the lose that his best friend is going through.

And now I turned my eyes to the last of the pilots. Chang (Wufei) stood looking at his precious Nataku, the Gundam that he had loved so much. When I looked really close, I could see that his lips were moving, as if he was praying for the Gundam.

I came out of my thoughts, and looked over at my digital alarm clock.

"FUCK!" I jumped up from my bed, grabbed my bag, and made a wild dash for the door.

"Gotta go, Howard! I'm going to be late for school again if I don't get my ass into gear!" I called as I ran out the front door.

I jumped into my new car, and jammed the key into the ignition. As the engine started up, so did my CD player. Evanescence blasted through my speakers, and I was off.

"That boy. No matter how late he is, he always has some time to shoot his mouth off. Just hope he doesn't get another detention." Howard chuckled to himself.

At School

I smiled brilliantly as I walked down the halls of my school. Each of the guys I passed held out their hands for a high five. As I passed each girl, I threw her my most flirtatious smile. With every teacher, I smiled and bowed nicely. Yeah, okay, I know. I'm a suck up.

I should be happy. I'm out of the way. No one is going to call me off to battle at any moment, day or night. No one is trying to blow me up. There's no more fighting with DeathSythe. I've been living a so-called "normal" life for five months now. It's what I've always wanted to have. Howard adopted me as his son, I'm working on my high school degree, I have friends who have never seen a real battle, and I'm getting better at showing how I really feel. What more could I ask for? Why am I so unhappy?

I thought to myself as I walked down the hall to my first period classroom. As I walked through the door, I stopped short, and stared.

"Good morning, Duo." A voice from my past said.

I thought for a moment. For some reason this mans voice called out to me from my past. Now, I pride myself on remembering people's faces and voices, but not always on their names. It couldn't have been too long ago that this voice last spoke to me. I knew that I could place it if I could just remember how long ago it had been that I last heard it. Then it hit me.

"Quatre?" I asked, a little unsure.

"The one and only, Duo. How have you been?" Quatre replied.

He stood up from the teachers' chair, and came around to the front of the desk. He had changed a lot since the last time I saw him. He was taller and his hair was different than I remember it being.

He held out his hand to me, and I pushed it away. I stepped up to him, and hugged him tightly. He had been one of my best friends through the war. If I had a problem, I could always count on Quatre to talk to it about.

"I'm glad to see you too, Duo. However, we have some business to discuss." Quatre said, pulling away from me.

I sighed.

"You always were one to get right down to the point, weren't you? Alright, what is it, Q-sama?" I asked.

I sat on the edge of the desk while he sat back down in the teachers' chair.

"Well, my original intent was to come here and invite you to my house in L.A. on Earth, but my plans have changed a little. When I got here, I asked the office to pull your school records. I thought that I was going to see straight A's and a lot of good reports, but I didn't. I was mostly D's and F's all the way down the list. Now, I know what you're capable of doing and not doing. You're a genius when it comes to math and science; you needed to be to be the pilot for DeathSythe. Writing was never really a good subject for you. You didn't learn as early as the rest of us, so you were always a little behind when it came to that. History, well, that was ok for you. The only problem was that you never really paid much attention in that class. English was really good, as it was your primary language, and with hanging around with the rest of us French, Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese were all really good too. However, none of your current grades reflect this. Why?" Quatre asked.

He sat there, waiting for me to answer him. To be honest, I didn't know the answer to his question. There was no real reason why I was failing all of my classes. I knew that I could do the work, and my teacher knew it too. You see I'm in a very well known and hard to get into privet school. The only way I got in here was by taking and passing their difficult entrance exam. Howard owns a junkyard, and junk yards don't really rake in the big bucks. There would be no way for me to get into a school like this without a little help. And trust me when I tell you, some of the other students aren't about to let me forget it.

"You know, Q-sama, I'm not sure why I'm failing. I guess I'm just not as happy being here as I thought I was going to be. I mean, the work isn't all that hard and I really don't have trouble with any of the classes. It's just..."

"...It's just not what you were used to. I know. I've been having a little trouble settling down as well. But you know Duo, if you really put your mind to it, there is absolutely nothing that you can't do. So here's the deal I was thinking of. I'll stay here with you for one week. That's one Duo, not two. I'll get you up to where I know you can pass the midterms that are coming up, and then I'll leave. But you have to promise that you'll work as hard as you can to pass. And, if in the end you don't but you've given it your all, then I'll still let you come. Is it a deal, my big mouthed friend?" Quatre asked.

Once again, he had managed to hit the nail in the head better than I ever could. I thought about it for a moment, looking for something that was imperfect with the plan. That was something that Heero had taught me. Always search for the thing that could most hurt you, then try to take it out of the situation. Finally, finding nothing wrong with Quatre's plan, I nodded.

"Sounds good to me, Q-sama." I agreed.

"Good. I'll be your class' teacher in school, and then after school we can go over to Howard's and study. Okay?" He asked, smiling at me.

"You got it, Q-sama!" I said.

The bell rang, and class began. All of my fellow students poured into the room. Some of the guys with other guy preferences stared at poor Quatre, and made a few comments. Quatre, however, didn't take any of their shit.

"Class, quiet down now." Was all he had to say.

And the best part was that he used his really quiet voice that you have to listen really hard for. But apparently everyone heard him just fine.

This is going to be an interesting week.

I think to myself.

One Week Later

I pushed my way to the board where the class scores had been posted. Today was the day that we found out what we got on our exams.

I moved my eyes down the list to my name, whooped loudly at my grade. I had perfects in ALL of my tests!

Wait till I tell Quatre! He's gonna be so proud of me!

I thought as I ran down the hall. I ran into my homeroom, and slid to a stop in front of my desk. It wasn't Quatre behind the desk, but Mr. Hamki, my real teacher.

"Where's Quar-I mean Mr. Winner?" I asked, stepping up to him.

"He's left. His one week of taking over my class is up. However, Mr. Maxwell, he did leave you a note." Mr. Hamki said.

He handed me a note that was addressed to me in Quatre's handwriting. I eagerly ripped it open, and began to read:

"Dear Duo,

Good job on the test scores! I'm very impressed with the prefect marks you received! I told you that you had it in you!

I'm so sorry that I couldn't wait to talk to you this morning. You see, my next stop is Trowa, after that Heero, and finally unto Chang. Do you see why I needed to leave on time?

My party will be in exactly one month and three weeks. It will be in Los Angeles, California on Earth. You can ask anyone which is my estate, but I'm sure you'd be able to figure it out on your own.

Do try to be on time for once, okay?

Keep on working, or I'll tell them to band you at the gate!

Your Friend,

Quatre R. Winner"

I read and re-read the letter until I had the location and date of his party memorized. Then I re-folded the note, took out my light, and lit it on fire.

Mr. Hamki just watched me and shook his head. He was used to this type of action from me. He knew that I had been a pilot, and he knew that I was used to memorizing instructions, then burning the paper that they came on.

One month and three weeks it is then, Quatre.

I thought with a smile.

TBC